McCowan’s perfect game puts MSU in Elite 8

KANSAS CITY — All she could do was scream. Sitting on the Sprint Center floor after taking Teaira McCowan to the ground fighting for a rebound, all Akela Maize could do was look into her hands and yell in frustration.

She began the Sweet 16 game walking to center court with a grin on her face as she approached McCowan for the opening tip. She was ready to compete with one of the best centers in the country on the biggest of stages. She did all night, giving everything she had for each opportunity.

Yet there was simply nothing Maize or anyone on North Carolina State could do to stop McCowan on Friday but scream. McCowan dominated offensively. She dominated defensively. She grabbed every rebound.

The junior center finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds to lead Mississippi State to a 71-57 Sweet 16 win, and she could have done so much more. She didn’t miss a single shot, making 11-of-11 field goals — tying a tournament record — and both free throw attempts.

“We didn’t really have an answer for McCowan,” NC State coach Wes Moore said.

Maize’s early strategy was to push McCowan up and make her uncomfortable away from the block. McCowan’s first shot of the game came with Maize hounding her in the post, her arms leaving no space. McCowan was forced to take a difficult left-handed turnaround hook shot off the backboard. She sunk it.

The next possession, Maize tried to post her up. She used a few moves and thought she had an opening 10 feet from the basket. Maize turned around and discovered McCowan still completely in position and was forced to throw up a shot that landed behind the backboard.

“Boy, I loved the look in her eye,” coach Vic Schaefer said. “There were times she just wasn’t going to be denied.”

McCowan technically finished with only four blocks, but that number doesn’t quantify her effect Friday. NC State consistently found ways to drive into the lane in the first half. It didn’t matter. Each time, the Wolfpack was forced to throw up an awkward shot in the lane that had no chance of going in.

She had such a physical presence down low that the second-half NC State strategy was to play in front of her and try to stop passes from getting inside.

That meant Mississippi State was able to simply lob it up over any defender where only McCowan could grab it. That set up even more easy buckets.

Maize was forced to answer question after question about what guarding McCowan was like, because she was so dominant people just wanted to know how it felt to do it in person, to not just be watching her but actually going against her.

She said no amount of film could show how strong McCowan was.

“That was probably the biggest surprise I had coming into the game,” Maize said. “Her strength — she was really strong.”

For McCowan, though, it’s a different experience. Each and every game she goes up against a post player like Maize grinning before the tip. Each game the opponent is psyching themselves up to go against one of the most dominant players in the country. They try to give it everything they have to show they can compete physically with her.

“At the beginning of games, teams are all giddy and just going,” she said. “But at the end of the game is when I always get ‘em.”

Then a grin came over McCowan’s face. “Either way it’s a lose-lose.”